Will The OG Fashion Influencer's Bag Please Stand Up?

To understand the appeal of this pochette bag that’s returned to the S/S ’19 catwalk more than two decades after Fendi debuted it, one needs to know Sex and the City. It was the TV series that immortalised Sarah Jessica Parker’s sartorially adventurous character Carrie Bradshaw as a fashion icon, Baguette often in tow. And it put true style into street style: one oughta look glamorous even when hailing a cab (there was no Uber), and the bag — with its compact shape, short shoulder strap, double “F” logo and myriad statement finishes — made it perfect for doing so. In short, it was It in a pre-KOL age; when fashion influence was defined by attitude and a genuine, often idiosyncratic enthusiasm for dressing up.

That it’s back in the social media age unchanged save for new reiterations, ranging from stamped calfskin to one swathed in beads and feathered flowers ($2,950-$9,600), says a lot about what — or who — it represents. Practice what Bradshaw said when robbed of hers in season three, episode 17: “It’s a Bag-uette.”

This story first appeared in Female's February 2019 issue.

Film still: Everett Collection